In this article we will discuss some horizon-attribute-based methods that we have been exploring to help identify productive fracture swarms in tight-gas reservoirs. Our objectives are:

We illustrate our work with three examples, one carbonate and two clastic, from the San Juan Basin area of New Mexico.

Low matrix-permeability gas reservoirs (“tight-gas reservoirs”) are an important resource in the United States; some estimates suggest that approximately one half of the nation's future natural gas supplies will be produced from these technologically challenging reservoirs. In both clastic and carbonate reservoirs with low matrix permeability, natural fractures play an important role in...